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Fantastic Four Collecting Thread!
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Started by uclapeterg,

13,886 posts in this topic

furystorm

furystorm

Posted
Posted

Hey, Barton is my last name! I can see a lot of the collectors around here know each other pretty well, because I've seen names used a lot in posts.

 

Anyway, I'm brand new, and wanted to introduce myself into the forum in the FF thread. I've finally decided to jettison my entire collection aside from the few runs I treasure the most, and refocus on FF. I've been collecting comics since about 1985, off and on of course, but heavily in the past ten years. Now I have seen the error of my ways, and want to regain my love and passion for collecting.

 

Out with the new, and in with the old! :D

 

So with that, it has become my intention to create a run of FF from 1-100, all CGC. I'm sure I'll probably never own a 1, 2, 3, and some others, but it will be fun to try. Maybe I should become a doctor, or sell a kidney...

 

Already, I have picked up a #59 in 9.4 and a #82 in 9.4. Waiting for them to arrive.

 

And off we go. :D

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furystorm

furystorm

Posted
Posted

Oh, and one more thing.

 

I fully intend to procure at least one single digit issue before the end of the year. I just have not decided what the lowest grade I am willing to go will be yet.

 

Guys, are these books extremely more expensive at a convention. I'm heading to SDCC and I know there are quite a few dealers there, but will I be paying a premium from them?

 

I really want a 3,4,5,6,7,or 9

 

I omitted 8 because I owned a copy of it for so many years and read it many many times, but feel I should start back elsewhere...

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KirbyJack

KirbyJack

Posted
Posted
Out with the new, and in with the old! :D

 

Like it! And, Welcome! we're glad you're here!

I may be biased, but I think you've chosen the perfect series to on which to concentrate. I will, however, suggest you get all the Kirby issues, 1-102,108 and annuals 1-6.

 

Yes, sometimes convention prices are a bit elevated (gotta pay for the booth), but most dealers will negotiate. Also, I think a small premium is acceptable when you consider the convenience of having all those comics under one roof. It also is a plus to have a set date, known well in advance. That's the biggie for me, because I can build up the comic fund a bit. It's a great bonus to have money AND cool comics available AT THE SAME TIME. It seems for me it's always one or the other.

 

So go get those FFs! When I started, I never imagined I'd own the whole run, but it happened. Don't be surprised if you find yourself completing the run!

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furystorm

furystorm

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the encouragement KJ! I appreciate it and the advice as well. I was already anticipating extending my run to those issues you mentioned. Actually my intention is to have a complete FF run through all of the years, but only CGC copies for the first 100, with a few extras thrown in of course. My original collection from my pre-teen years still has many many FF books in it which I will be holding onto, and upgrading if necessary. Time to fill in all those gaps.

 

I only hope I don't get too distracted by other Silvers when I'm looking for FFs...

 

Saving for SDCC already! :D

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Bomber-Bob

Bomber-Bob

Posted
Posted
Hey all!

 

Here are two new ones for my CGC 1-200 collection...I have about 30 books total.

 

FF 30 and 23:

 

FF30.jpg

 

 

FF23.jpg

 

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Dan

(worship)

Love the eye appeal and White Pages on these books. Both are very fresh looking.

Congrats.

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fantastic_four

fantastic_four

Posted
Posted
I've finally decided to jettison my entire collection aside from the few runs I treasure the most, and refocus on FF. I've been collecting comics since about 1985, off and on of course, but heavily in the past ten years. Now I have seen the error of my ways, and want to regain my love and passion for collecting.

 

Out with the new, and in with the old! :D

 

So with that, it has become my intention to create a run of FF from 1-100, all CGC. I'm sure I'll probably never own a 1, 2, 3, and some others, but it will be fun to try. Maybe I should become a doctor, or sell a kidney...

 

Your initial desire will be to buy high-grade copies of higher-numbered issues. You unfortunately will do yourself a HUGE disservice by doing this. Buying nice copies of #1 to #13 should be your earliest focus; you'll save yourself the most money by buying those first. They tend to go up the most over time, so figuring that it will take you 5 to 10 years to buy the whole 1 to 100 run in the condition you want, if you buy the 1 to 13 run last, it will end up costing you a lot more several years from now than it will today. Getting those issues out of the way first will maximize your spending dramatically.

 

The hard part is that you're likely to be the most enthusiastic now to get some issues and won't want to save up and wait for the early issues. Your ability to buy those early issues or the condition you're able to afford will go down every year you put them off. The later issues are far more available, and in high CGC grades will multiply in availability and decrease or stay flat in price far more than the early issues will, so buying later issues before the early ones is simultaneously the worst way to invest the money and the worst way to complete the entire run.

 

When you buy copies of 53 to 100, you should think to yourself that you're flushing money away better spent on early issues, and from a pure investment perspective, that isn't at all wrong--it's absolutely correct. That's the frame of mind that helps me save up for early key issues.

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KirbyJack

KirbyJack

Posted
Posted

That makes a ton of sense. #1 was the last one I needed to complete the run, and sure enough, I ended up buying a rag. I passed on a VF copy early in my collecting days, sure that I would find a more budget-friendly grail.

 

It's still my biggest comic-collecting regret.

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Drummy

Drummy

Posted
Posted

Hi there --

 

I agree with James whole-heartedly, even though my previous post's purchases belies that stance. When I decided last year to collect only FF 1-200 and George Perez FF art from 1976-77, I pushed myself to get the early FF issues first. I also look for what I perceive to be good prices, so I will put in bids on later issues if I think it's a solid deal.

 

That said, however, 1-20 is my big focus right now. I still need several -- I only have six of the first twenty -- but I try to save for those issues before committing to other issues. If I buy anything outside of 1-20, it's because I think it's rare in grade/page quality and at a price I'd be foolish to pass on. Otherwise, the idea of grabbing 1-13 FIRST is spot on.

 

Good luck!

 

Dan

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fantastic_four

fantastic_four

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Posted
That makes a ton of sense. #1 was the last one I needed to complete the run, and sure enough, I ended up buying a rag. I passed on a VF copy early in my collecting days, sure that I would find a more budget-friendly grail.

 

It's still my biggest comic-collecting regret.

 

Focusing on #1 makes the point really simple, I agree. I started collecting Fantastic Four in 2000. Had I bought my #1 issue that year instead of last year for the same amount of money, I would currently own a CGC 8.5 to 9.2 copy instead of the 7.0 I had to settle for almost a decade later because I was too eager to just buy whichever issues hit the market first at the cheapest prices. My collection would also be worth at least double what it is today had I bought the early issues first.

 

Yea, your salary tends to go up over the course of a decade, but a book like FF #1 goes up by a lot more unless you make some truly spectacular career advances.

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furystorm

furystorm

Posted
Posted

Wow, I really appreciate all of the input you guys are providing here. It almost feels like someone can tell that I've been eyeing a certain issue these past few days in the teens. Weird. Seems to be calling my name. There is certainly some great and sage advice, backed by experience, which you guys are giving me. It would be so hard to follow it, but I appreciate it nonetheless. At the very least, I am committed to a single digit issue before the end of the year and preferably at SDCC. Saving for it now, as I've mentioned.

 

Thanks a ton everyone! :D

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furystorm

furystorm

Posted
Posted (edited)

Alright, thanks to all of your peer pressure (and I do mean thanks in a good way, not sarcastic), I've gone ahead with the purchase of that book in the teens. Hopefully, I'm not too late. And also, hopefully, I have set the low side of what grade I am willing to accept at a 7.0.

 

I'll probably end up with a 1.8 #1! lol

 

But now, I'll cool it at the three books and save for SDCC, hoping for a fair deal on a single digit issue at 7.0 or better...

Edited by furystorm
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